Recently we have had a number of aircraft leave the ramp without fuel caps secured. It has happened already four times this summer. This is not acceptable and dangerous. Since thunderstorms can cause extremely high winds with sheer in excess of 58 mph and hail (SIGMET) we need to secure all aircraft post flight to avoid damage on the ground. Another problem has been the oil dipsticks. People have secured them so tightly that it has taken a set of pliers to loosen them to check the oil. Again it should be finger tight when securing and one does not need to pull the dipstick out fully to check oil levels. Too much oil spilled on the ramp recently. Just pull it out so one can see the markings to see how much is still in the oil engine. When sumping the tanks prior to flight, put the fuel BACK into the tanks if it is good? Do not put it on the ground since it is extremely toxic to the soil and is now over $4.00 / gallon.

Lastly please turn off landing lights after using them while flying in the pattern. If you turn them on for collision avoidance, remember to turn them off since they get extremely hot and put a load on the electrical system. They are only designed to last for about 25 hours and when on lands at night and they fail, it is Murphy’s Law that gets you when one needs all systems operational.